Banking philosophy adapts to technology, service

Advancing technology and strategic customer incentives are also pushing the industry forward, and in many ways changing the philosophy of banking. That changing philosophy is becoming increasingly evident nationwide, and beginning to be embraced more and more by banks in the tri-state region. Many of the banks in the area are learning how to enhance these services with good customer service — this is evidenced by the continued growth throughout the region.

Advancing technologies and changing philosophies: couple them together and one gets a glimpse of how banking in the tri-state region works.

Knowing your customer

If you ask Lonnie Heckmaster what it is that makes his Hometown Bank unique, he has any of a handful of stories at the ready.

His favorite is about a customer in the early years of the bank’s existence. Like many of the banks in the tri-state region, Hometown Bank started as a group of investors who wanted to better serve the people in the community. One of those customers — a Joplin native that Heckmaster had worked with on-and-off during the years — called Heckmaster one Saturday afternoon as his home.

“His daughter was visiting over the weekend from college, but she didn’t quite make it,” Heckmaster said. “Her car broke down in Springfield. (The customer) was calling because he wanted to get his daughter a new car to drive back to Columbia and he needed a car loan. I told him, ‘Write the check and come see me on Monday; we’ll get you a loan.’

“When he came in that next Monday he said to me, ‘This is why I bank here. You made me a hero to my daughter.’ That’s what I see as the true heart of Hometown; knowing your customer and knowing what you can do for them.”

That’s a mantra echoed by many of the banks in the region. Walk into any bank in the area and ask a bank teller, loan officer or bank president what makes the bank unique and the answer will more often than not be, “our customer service.”

“Every customer gets more than what they came in for,” said Dave Winegardner, director of marketing for Community Bank & Trust. “That’s exactly what we strive for every single day.”

Even the nationally publicly-traded banks — such as Bank of America and U.S. Bank — consider it a company goal to go above and beyond for the local customer. Meggie Jenny, a personal banker with Bank of America, said it’s such a valuable part of every day banking that the company has it written into their motto.

“Live the spirit and deliver for every customer, every time,” she said. “That’s the way our bank works.”

The difference, she said, between a national bank like the one she works for and a local bank is the way that mission is undertaken. Bank of America, for instance, trains its employees to be specialized in specific fields — such as credit card specialists or mortgage specialists.

“Because we’re so large we’re split up into specialized fields,” Jenny said. “The company wants us to be as well-trained in our specific fields as possible.”

A more localized bank such as Hometown, however, wants its employees to be knowledgeable about every facet of its financial institution. Part of that, Heckmaster said, is because the bank is employee-owned and the staff within the bank’s seven branches feel responsible — answerable, even — to the customers they serve.

“We are part of the community that we serve,” Heckmaster said. “We want to deliver that experience. We want our customers to be able to walk out the door and tell their friends that ‘Hometown took care of me’.”

Technology revolution

Clifford Wert, president of the Joplin region for U.S. Bank, which has 18 branches, said customer service is a top priority for his bank as well. He said one of the nice things about having a national chain backing local branches is the resources it provides.

“We have the capability of bringing all of the resources and technology provided by the national chain to the community and people in the area,” Wert said. “Being the sixth largest bank in the U.S., that’s saying something. We’re very much a part of the community.”

It’s not just the national chains that have access to the technology, though. Jeff Williams, local president for the Joplin area branches of Liberty Bank, said new technology is very much a part of the daily service the bank offers to its customers. He said photo identification check cards and remote deposit options are just a couple of examples of how the banking industry is changing.

“There are significant technology changes,” he said. “I think it’s going to revolutionize the way ATMs and banks are used. If you can make a remote deposit from your desktop computer instead of having to drive 10 miles for a deposit at the bank, that saves you time away from the office and — especially now — that extra expense of gas.”

Williams said the changing philosophy within the banking industry created by such advances is evident nationwide, and beginning to be embraced more and more by banks in the tri-state region. The banks that learn how to couple these services with good customer service, he said, are the ones that are and will continue to grow.

“You want to grow with your community while adding value to your customers,” he said. “Liberty’s primary way to do that is through its ‘Everyone Welcome’ philosophy.”

Mark Roberts, regional sales manager for Great Southern Bank, agrees with Williams and said the changes within the industry are requiring some different tactics when it comes to serving the customer.

“It’s transforming the industry,” he said. “The direct deposit for businesses is a pretty revolutionary technology that is catching on quickly. It’s an additional convenience for the customer and we pride ourselves on developing relationships with customers in that way.”

Roberts said the biggest change this requires is taking a pro-active stance with customers. He said the traditional view of banking is one where customers drive to the bank building and communicate with a teller or bank official. The advances in technology and changing philosophies, however, require those same bank officials and employees to get out of the building and go to the customer.

“We’ll be frequenting businesses more often,” he said. “It’s a culture we’re trying to create — one that’s more pro-active in meeting the customer and learning more about them. We think there’s much more value in being pro-active.”[[In-content Ad]]